Some people will find that black spots or shadows such as dots, branches, and caterpillars appear in the field of vision inexplicably. Even if the eyes stop turning, these black spots will continue to move, just like mosquitoes flying in front of them. The official name of floaters is “vitreous opacity” or “vitreous floats”.
Eye floaters are generally more common in middle-aged and elder people over 40 years old, or young people with myopia, especially those with high myopia, and some patients after cataract surgery. Most eye floaters are natural manifestations of eye aging and are classified as common senile diseases. However, there are also many young people who stare at mobile phones and computers for a long time, leading to excessive eye use, high myopia, etc., and whose vitreous humor is liquefied and cloudy, and dark shadows and blurred vision are often seen in front of them, and they are prematurely infected with senile disease. These conditions have undergone careful eye examination. If no significant organic disease related to them is found, then this type of floaters is physiological and generally does not require treatment, and most of them can heal by themselves. However, there are some pathological floaters that are difficult to heal on their own. They are the second blinding eye disease after cataract.
This symptom is almost insoluble in western medicine ophthalmology, but it has the opportunity to improve in traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine has been recorded and treated with “clouds and mists move before eyes” since ancient times.
In addition to taking herbs, acupuncture is the most effective treatment method. Some patients can feel that the “flying mosquitoes” becomes smaller or lighter at the moment of the first acupuncture, even disappear. There are patients with severe floaters, after acupuncture and moxibustion, the floaters immediately dissipated by 40% to 50%, it made the patients call it incredible! There are also cases of flying mosquitoes are much for more than ten years, after more than ten times of acupuncture, the flying mosquitoes have almost completely disappeared.
There are two purposes for acupuncture: the first is to strengthen and regulate the functions of the viscera, especially the liver and kidneys. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the eye is liver’s opening, and the vitreous humor in the eye is controlled by the kidney. The second is to dredge the vessel and qi and blood circulation inside and outside the eyeball, and smooth communication, and material transmission channels, to increase the rate of vitreous metabolism, promote the dissociation and light of floating mosquitoes, and treat both symptoms and root causes, so it can quickly take effect immediately.
Acupuncture for floaters is effective in the early stage by taking remote acupoints (acupoints on hands and feet). If the effect is not obvious or the improvement has reached a certain limit, add acupuncture points at the proximal end of the eyeball and deep puncture to obtain further effects. If the viscera is excessively weakened or obstructed, you must also take the herbs internally.
In addition, according to different pathologies, herbal treatments can also be used.
(1) Damp and turbidity
a. Damp heat accumulation
Symptoms: Often fell dim vision, black shadows float like mosquitoes and flies. Examine the eye, the vitreous humor is dusty or punctate. Head heavy, chest tightness, upset, bitter mouth, yellow tongue coating, pulse faster.
Treatment method: Drain and unimpeded, clearing away heat and dampness.
Prescription: Sanren Soup
Commonly used herbs: Bitter Apricot Seed, talcum, Medulla Tetrapanacis, leaf of Henon Bamboo, Medulla Tetrapanacis, Semen Coicis, Rhizoma Pinelliae
b. Spleen deficiency and dampness
Symptoms: Often fell dim vision, black shadows float like mosquitoes and flies. Examine the eye, the vitreous humor is dusty or punctate. The face is pale or chlorosis, eating less, more phlegm, feeling tired and fatigued, the tongue is tender and lighter, and the tongue coating is white, the pulse is floating and tiny.
Treatment method: invigorate the spleen and replenish qi, exudate dampness and resolve phlegm
Prescription: Modification of Liujunzi Decoction.
Commonly used herbs: Ginseng, Poria, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Radix Glycyrrhizae, Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae, Rhizoma Pinelliae
(2) False fire hurts the vessel
Symptoms: Fell black shadows flying in front of the eyes, slow or sharp decline in vision. Examining the vitreous humor, can see punctate or flocculent, lumpy shadows, or hemorrhagic lesions in the fundus. Dizziness and tinnitus are common found, upset, less sleep, dry mouth, dry throat, red tongue with little coating, fine pulse wiry,thready, and rapid.
Treatment method: Nourish Yin and make blood cool, stop bleeding and remove blood stasis.
Prescription: Ningxue Soup .
Commonly used herbs: Yerbadetajo Herb,Radix Rehmanniae,Donkey-hide Glue,Radix Paeoniae Alba,Cacumen Platycladi,Rhizoma Imperatae,Herba Agrimoniae,Rhizoma Bletillae,Adix Ampelopsis,Pollen Typhae,Sanchi
(3) Qi stagnation and blood stasis
Symptoms: Black shadows can be seen in front of the eyes, vision is decreased, vitreous humor is turbid, and punctate, flocculent or mass, or the tortuous expansion of fundus veins can be seen, and there is flake hemorrhage on the retina. The person is emotionally uncomfortable, chest tightness and swelling, yellow tongue coating, or ecchymosis on the tongue, pulse is wiry and tight, or choppy.
Treatment method: Soothing the liver and regulating qi, removing blood stasis and stopping bleeding.
Prescription: Xuefu Zhuyu Soup
Commonly used herbs:Radix Bupleuri,Fructus Aurantii,Radix Platycodonis,Radix Angelicae Sinensis,Rhizoma Chuanxiong,Radix Paeoniae Rubra,Semen Persicae
(4) Loss of liver and kidney
Symptoms: Vision is dim, or can see close and not far away, black shadows are flying in front of eyes. Examine the eyes, the vitreous humor is turbid, or it is clear for vitreous humor to rock during eye movement. Dizziness, tinnitus, soreness of loins, dry mouth, and weak pulse.
Treatment method: Tonic liver and kidney.
Prescription: Mingmu Dihuang Pills
Commonly used herbs: Radix Rehmanniae Preparata,Radix Rehmanniae,Rhizoma Dioscoreae,Rhizoma Alismatis,Fructus Corni
Although the correct treatment can cure floaters, you should develop good living habits to prevent floaters occurring. Ensure adequate sleep and try not to stay up late; Be careful not to overuse your eyes to prevent myopia, and avoid staring at your mobile phone or computer for a long time; When using electronic products, use eye massage to relieve visual fatigue when using your eyes continuously; Choose eye drops carefully, try to avoid irritating ingredients into the eyes. Secondly, properly supplement the nutrients needed by the eyes.
